


Blue Neighbourhood (My Youth Is Yours)

by almostclevernerd



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Angst, Consensual Underage Sex, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Growing Up Together, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Slow Burn Dan Howell/Phil Lester, Smut, Teen Romance, There is more stuff to tag believe me, Underage Drinking, Underage Drug Use, Underage Kissing, Underage Smoking, Young Love, but I just don't wanna really give it all away, i just wanted to tag all this so people who are not okay with some of this stuff are warned :)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2017-11-18
Packaged: 2019-02-01 11:49:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12704406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/almostclevernerd/pseuds/almostclevernerd
Summary: Dan and Phil come from two different worlds. Dan's family is poor and fighting to survive each day, while Phil was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. They do have one thing in common that keeps them together for many years to come: they've both been neglected and left to fend for themselves.In this alternative universe, Dan and Phil are going through the joys, pains and confusions of childhood and teenage years; in which they discover themselves, their families and the people around them.





	1. Prologue: The Boy and the Lion

Dan was only 11 when he drove his bike around a neighbourhood almost twenty minutes away from his own. The houses were large, there were cool cars in the driveways and it seemed far cleaner than his own neighbourhood. Kids played in some of the large front yards behind tall fences and well-cut bushes, and all of them stared at him as he passed.

He looked at a girl with long blond hair and a tiara on top of her head, eyes as blue as the summer sky. She leaned over the fence of what had to be her parents’ front yard. She smiled, but probably not for the reason Dan thought she was smiling. Years later, Dan would realise that it was his torn and dirty clothes, beat-up bike and the dirt on his face that the girls and boys in that part of town found interesting. He was an outsider, from a place that was far less beautiful. He didn’t belong at all. 

Still he pedaled on with his bike, looking around as if he were surrounded by creatures he had never seen before in his life. Just as he got to the end of the street that ended in a cul-de-sac, he stopped his pedaling and looked at the five houses. One of them had a large moving truck parked in the front with men in blue uniforms carrying out boxes and furniture. A man, most likely no older than 40, stood in front of the door, directing the men and telling them where to put the boxes. 

It wasn’t really the large truck, or the towering houses that Dan had noticed. He saw a boy, around his age, sitting in the front yard with a stuffed lion clutched between his fingers. Dan jumped off his bike and pushed it as he walked closer. He let the bike topple over near the front yard, the crash of the metal hitting the pavement got the other boy’s attention. He had reddish brown hair and eyes bluer than the ones of the girl who had smiled at him earlier.

Dan approached him and looked down at his toy. “Aren’t you a bit too old to play with stuffed animals?” He asked, perhaps a bit rudely. But he didn’t mean it that way. Lions were cool, after all. The boy seemed surprised to see someone standing in front of him and he fixed his posture a bit, putting the lion behind his back and frowning at the new kid.

“No.” The red-haired boy said, looking up to meet Dan’s brown eyes with uncertainty. “You sound just like my aunt.” He then added as he took the toy out from hiding and looked at his black button eyes. One of them was mismatched in shade and size, while the other seemed to be barely hanging on a single string. It, too, seemed to have been patched up at least once. One of the paws had some “scar” in the form of off-beige thread. Dan then realised that the toy was well loved. Broken and repaired many times.

“Does it have a name?” Dan asked after some hesitation. He then sat down on the patch of grass next to the boy, who seemed to be just as reluctant to talk to the new kid. Dan assumed that his parents were strict. He had friends whose parents didn’t let them get to know people who they had never seen before. 

“Lion.” Dan had to laugh. It wasn’t a mean laugh, just one of surprise. He had not expected such an obvious name. “Hey! Don’t laugh! I was like 3 when I named him…” The kid said, once again clutching the toy in his hands. Dan noticed that the thumb and forefinger of the kid’s right hand were rubbed the toy’s left ear.  
“Sorry. I just thought his name would be different.” Dan said and then took Lion’s paw and shook it. “Nice to meet you, Lion. My name is Dan.” He said, then he looked up at the boy holding the toy. “What’s your name?”

“Phil,” came the timid answer.

“Nice to meet you, too, Phil.” Dan offered a rather bright smile. 

“You too, Dan.” Phil opened his mouth to continue talking. Just then, Dan saw a woman exit out of the house. Upon seeing Phil sitting on the grass with a new kid, she approached carefully. 

Dan recognised that look. The tight, barely-there smile that all his teachers gave him just because they had to. She was obviously looking at his clothes, at the large hole in his tennis shoes and the big stain on his black tee. Dan didn’t even have to hear anything. He got up slowly. 

“Phil, you should unpack your stuff, sweetheart.” The woman said, shooting another judging look in Dan’s direction. Phil seemed hurt by that statement, and he slowly lifted himself off the grass. “Say goodbye to your… to your friend.” She urged, once again, out of sheer “politeness.” 

“Bye, Dan.” He said, then followed his mother inside, twisting his head briefly to look once more in Dan’s direction. 

Dan raised his hand and waved, wondering if he would ever see Phil again. He lived so far away. There was no way that he would ever see the kid again. With the short conversation still replaying in his mind, Dan picked up his bike and made his way back home.


	2. Chapter One: Imagination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To them, it wasn't about where they were. It was about the company they shared the place with.

Summer was always something kids looked forward to. Those few weeks when they didn’t have to worry about school, when they could play with their friends and sleep until 9 AM if they wanted to. The last month leading up to summer, Dan had been excited to finally be free, to do as he wished. But as of now, the first day of summer, Dan was left feeling empty.

He laid in his bed, in the room he shared with his younger brother, looking up at the plastic glow-in-the-dark stars that covered the ceiling. He had no friends to hang out with, and he had no one who would want to be around him. He wondered what he was so excited about. At least in school, he had the few boys who talked to him during breaks and lunch. At least in school, he could pretend to be cool, could try to fit in. But the previous day at school, when everyone made plans with the others in his class, Dan realised that he had no one. Not a single friend with whom he could spend the long, boring summer. 

The house was empty. Dan knew that much. He could hear the creaking of the hallway window as the light wind pushed it open, just for it to close again slowly. He counted the amount of times he heard those noises repeat. Ten, eleven, twelve… 

He swung his legs over and onto the floor, forcing himself to get out of bed. He stumbled over heaps of dirty clothes and toys as he made his way to the door. Like every other door in his house, it was painted white, but some of the paint had peeled off, revealing the ugly brown beneath it. After choosing a random shirt from a random pile of clothing, Dan put it on and went to brush his teeth and make himself something to eat. Adrian, his 6-year-old brother, was nowhere to be found. He assumed his mother had taken him to work again. Good. Better than the alternative. He did not feel like dragging the kid along.

Dragging him along… where? It’s not like Dan had anywhere to go. It’s not like he had anyone to go with. He mulled those facts over as he ate his cereal, and after around his fourth spoonful, he had an epiphany. Why did it matter if he went alone? He could still explore!

Just a week ago, when he met that kid Phil, he saw a path leading off somewhere into what looked like a forest. He could go there, explore a bit. Maybe he would fall through a hole and land in a kingdom of elves, where he would be crowned king!

Dan knew that it was nonsense, but he still smiled at the idea of being the hero of his own adventure. He packed a bag (a sandwich for lunch, a bottle of water and some bandaids), before rushing out the door and grabbing his bike. He rode through the town, for once feeling like he was not limited at all. He knew he had to be home before dark. Otherwise, he had the whole day to do as he pleased.

It took him around twenty minutes to arrive back in that cul-de-sac. He looked up at the house where Phil lived. He could now see potted plants on the windows, no nice car parked in the driveway and a very nice looking blue bike, as well. He wondered if it was Phil’s… He waited for a second, staring up at the many windows of the front of the house. He hoped he would see Phil looking out the window before bolting down to play with him. Of course, his silly imagination was making him hope for something that, realistically, could never happen. 

After heaving a sigh, Dan got off his bike and, making sure that he doesn’t trespass on accident, walked between Phil’s house and the house next to it to get to the path that he saw leading up to a forest. He glanced at Phil’s backyard. There was a box, open, with some parts of what looked to be a swing set strewn about. He paused for a second. A large grill was tucked in the corner, some flowers were waiting to be planted, and there was… Lion. 

Dan looked at the familiar toy, wondering why Phil would leave it outside, unattended. Then Dan realised… maybe he didn’t fear that if he left things outside, they’d be stolen by someone. Maybe he didn’t have to fear that. Dan tore his eyes from the toy and continued walking down the path behind the house. He stopped when he heard the sound of a door opening from somewhere behind him. 

“Dan?” He heard a voice call, no doubt coming from Phil. Dan turned around and looked at the boy, who by now had Lion in his hands, holding it loosely by its left paw. 

“Phil, hey.” Dan said, smiling brightly at the boy, who hopped down the three stairs from his back porch onto the grass below. He approached the fence of his backyard and smiled back at Dan, no doubt merely doing so because he seemed like a polite boy. 

“What are you doing here?” Phil asked, his blue eyes looking around, as if he was expecting to find more kids, or perhaps even an adult in the vicinity. 

“I got bored and I never explored this part of town.” Dan said honestly, gesturing rather vaguely behind himself at the forest. Phil looked over Dan’s shoulder, his blue eyes widening briefly, and Dan had to wonder if it was out of shock, surprise, or perhaps fascination. 

“You get to go there? Are you alone?” 

“Yeah, I have nothing better to do.” Dan answered, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He waited for Phil to say something, but he just kept his eyes on the green trees in the distance. “Do you want to come with me?” 

That did the job, as Phil’s wide eyes somehow widened even more. Dan had to hold back a laugh that threatened to tumble down his lips. “I…” Phil started, looking over his own shoulder. Dan did the same, glancing at the house. It seemed to be empty. “Yeah, sure.” He finally said, his lips tugging up into a small smile. “Let me just put Lion away and put on my shoes!” 

Dan had no time to answer before the other boy rushed into his house, tripping over the final step leading onto the porch before bolting somewhere into the house. Dan would be lying if he said that he wasn’t excited. He had never been out on an adventure with someone else. He wondered if Phil did this often. If he had friends who lead him out to see different places.

Judging by his reaction earlier, it would seem that that was not the case. 

It took Phil only a moment to gather his things and come back to the back yard. He put on a cap and proudly slung a backpack of his own over his shoulder. Dan hoped he had packed important stuff, too. Maybe a flashlight, as he had forgotten one. 

“You can leave your bike here, if you want to.” Phil said, gesturing to the fence. Dan was reluctant, but somehow he doubted that anyone in this neighbourhood would want to steal his rusty, beaten-up bike. 

“Sure, yeah.” Dan mumbled and put the bike against the pristine-looking fence. He could only wish for his home to have a fence at all. He then turned to Phil and gestured toward the forest. The path was dusty and covered in rocks, getting thinner and grassier the closer they get to the forest.

There was silence between the two boys, but somehow neither of them minded. Dan didn’t, since he was used to being alone anyway, this was no different than walking alone. Phil, he didn’t know why Phil was not saying anything. Nonetheless, it was comforting. Not having to do anything, just walking and looking around at the surroundings that were beautiful and entirely new to both of them. 

“How old are you, Phil?” Dan finally asked, looking sideways to see the other boy staring at him for a moment or two. 

“11.” He said, then paused for a moment and adding a hesitant “you?” 

“I turned 11 a month and a half ago.” He said proudly, to which Phil only smiled. 

“So I am older.”

“Yeah, but only by- by-” he stammered, wanting to protect some sort of pride, without even knowing when Phil was born. 

“My birthday is in January, and I’m turning 12.” Phil added, perhaps to help, perhaps to taunt.

Dan struggled to think of the exact number of months that he was younger, and after a silence of almost two full minutes, he finally figured it out, “6 months!” He exclaimed, proudly.

“Something like that.” Phil added with a giggle and stopped as they finally stood before the entrance into the forest. It was hardly a forest, but to the two boys it might as well have been the biggest forest in all of England. 

The trees were casting shadows on the ground, specks of gold littered amongst them. The branches hung low, with roots protruding out of the visible path leading into the woods. Dan felt a rush of adrenaline as he looked in the distance, down the path they would be taking. He glanced at Phil, as if asking if he was ready. 

The older boy nodded and took the first step forward, followed a second later by Dan. 

“Isn’t this so cool?” Dan asked, looking around and listening to the rustling of leaves and distant chirping of various birds that made the leaves and branches and bushes of the surrounding area their home. Just behind them, the quiet neighbourhood seemed so far away.

“Yeah. Do you think we’ll see any deer?” Phil asked, trying, and failing, to hide the excitement in his voice. “Or maybe a squirrel or a bear?!” He looked over at Dan, who laughed and waved off the other boy.  
“Don’t be silly. There’s no bears here.” But his voice held some doubt. What if they do run into a bear and end up having to run for their lives?! His imagination made the bear look 20 feet tall with fangs the size of a small child. This imaginary beat could take one step and catch up to them even as they desperately tried to outrun it. 

He shivered at the thought. He had seen videos of bears. They looked cute, but also so scary.

“Yeah, but deer!” Phil urged on, looking around him wildly, as if he could spot one just because of his sheer willpower to do so. 

“Maybe. I mean, what if the deer attacks us, too? We could be trampled to death… Like Mufasa.”

“Don’t.” Phil said sternly, glaring at Dan. He did not want to be reminded how much that movie scarred him for life. 

“Touchy subject?” Dan chuckled and looked down at the ground. He barely dodged tripping over a root that was poking out from the ground. He began to realise how this whole adventure could end up in bruised elbows and knees. 

“I wouldn’t want Lion to die because of a stampede. Of course it’s a touchy subjects.” Phil said, stuffing his hands in his pocket. “Besides that, deer would never stomp us to death. We’d just have to wave our arms around and they’d run away.” 

“But what if… there’s a group of mountain lions chasing them and we’re in the way as they try to escape?” 

“There’s no mountain lions here!”

“How exactly would you know that, Phil?” 

Phil looked ahead, lips pursed in a thin line. “I just know, okay?” 

Dan rolled his eyes and kept walking, pointing out plants and funny-shaped trees and saving Phil from tripping over things at least three times. They came across a fork in the path and had a discussion as to where they should go. Dan said, left, of course, since the path was darker and the forest looked denser with trees and they could explore more. While Phil said right, where he could see a clearing and some objects in the distance down a small hill. 

After much debate, they went to the right and saw that this part of the forest was, sadly, used to dump garbage. Phil said how wrong that was, how nature should be protected. Dan agreed, yes he did, but at the same time… There were cool things thrown away. 

“Oh wow, look.” Dan said, pointing at an old car, most windows smashed, the inside littered with beer cans and cigarette butts. “I have no clue what car it is, but it’d be so cool if it still worked.” He said, looking over at Phil, who was far more cautious as he approached the smashed vehicle. 

“Dan, watch out for the glass.” He warned, but Dan didn’t care as he stuck his hand through the broken window and pulled out something. “Oh, ew!” Phil laughed and looked a little closer at what Dan pulled out. It was obviously a bra. Pink and lacy, and Dan barely held it with his fingernails, too afraid to touch it. Girls still had cooties, after all. 

“You know what this means?” He asked Phil, looking amused. “Someone had s-”

“Don’t!” Phil gasped and clasped his hand over Dan’s mouth. He felt the other boy’s tongue on his palm, and his face drained of colour. “Dan! Gross!” He scowled and wiped his hands on his jeans. 

“Fine, I won’t say it, you big baby.” He poked out his tongue mockingly, but Phil only turned around and started looking at all the things people discarded. There were pieces of old board games, more cigarette butts, bottles of beer and other alcoholic drinks, as well as some cooler stuff. An acoustic guitar with a single string attached; an action figure of some robot, missing a leg and a hand; a couple of old doll with smashed heads, ripped hair; a bike with a bent wheel… 

“What do you think these needles were used for?” Dan asked as they wandered deeper into the dump. There were some more old cars, a few fridges and stoves.

“Whatever it is, I don’t think we should go near them. Don’t step on them.” Phil said, having heard how many viruses could be gotten from rusty metal and used needles. 

Dan wasn’t actively planning on stepping on needles anyway, but he did keep Phil’s words in the back of his mind.

After some more mindless walking, Dan found some sticks on the ground, and pick two of them up. “Let’s have a sword fight.” He suggested, holding his right arm outstretched with one of the “swords” out toward Phil.

Uncertainty was visible in Phil’s eyes, but he nodded and took the stick. He watched as Dan took out a stance that almost looked legit. He positioned himself in a similar stance, and then extended his “sword” toward the other.

“En garde!” Dan said, then swung the stick at Phil, who blocked it with his own, and got a chance to swing right back at Dan. 

Laughter and playful banter could be heard throughout the area as the two boys ran and jumped around, fighting to the death in this imaginary duel. They both wore smiles on their faces. Both of them would say how they never had more fun, how they never smiled this much in the presence of another person, if they had the confidence to do so. 

Their fight dragged on to last three hours, with both boys claiming parts of the garbage dump as their territory, then trying to sneak around to get to the other person’s territory and steal something as part of the goal to win the game. It was Phil’s idea, the game, and Dan was more than happy to follow along. They each took some planks, building makeshift bases and hideouts…

Before they knew it, the time on Phil’s digital watch showed 15:02, and dread washed over the older boy. “Dan!” He called out, leaving his “sword” in his “hideout” and looking at the younger boy worriedly. “I gotta go.” He said, and the smile melted from Dan’s face. “Oh, yeah, okay.” He said, shifting awkwardly and leaving his own weapon behind. 

Both boys were disappointed, but along the way back, they agreed that they would play again. Dan said how he could come again the following day, and Phil agreed happily. They hardly knew much about each other, but they got along. That was all that mattered to Dan.

Once they exited the woods and were back on the path toward Phil’s house, Dan realised how the time flew by, but he still had the rest of the day to do something with. “Why do you have to go?” He asked Phil, voice smaller than it had been earlier. 

“My mum’s about to come home and I am not allowed to leave the house without her permission.” Phil said, checking his watch again. 15:21. “I have to clean my room, so I gotta be home early because of that, too.”

“So you just sneaked out to play with me?” Dan asked, some of his chipper nature returning to his voice. 

“I guess. I’ve never done that before.” 

“I do that all the time.” Dan said proudly, as if running away from home, even for a few hours, was somehow super cool. In his mind, it was. 

They reached Phil’s backyard and Dan picked up his bike, glad to see that no one had touched it. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” He asked Phil.

Phil nodded, opening the gate and stepping inside. He looked over at Dan. “See you tomorrow, Dan.” He said, then jogged up to the porch and into the house. 

Dan sat on his bike and rode off, going back home. He was not too happy about that, but he knew that he could find no one else would would be willing to play with him. He had fun, and he knew he would have the same amount of fun the following day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading :)
> 
> I'd appreciate a comment! Follow me on Tumblr: cuteboyphil


	3. Chapter Two: Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan knew summer is always a bit too short. Too, too short.

Dan’s home was small. It was an average-looking house with a beige exterior and hardly anything else to go for it. The front door looked as if it would fall off its hinges at any given moment. One of the windows on the top floor was obviously broken, with grey plastic covering it from the inside to keep out rain. The only thing on the whole property that was prettier than anything else was a large oak tree in the backyard that towered over the house, making it look tiny in comparison. 

Even with its falling exterior and junk in both the front and the back of the house, Dan never thought that it wasn’t homey. He was used to the clutter and the mess, he was used to squeaky doors and windows, to wooden floors that threatened to cause splintered feet. He never thought that he had it worse than any other kid. He had all that he needed, even if he recognised that he sometimes wanted that new toy everyone had, or that new video game everyone was playing. 

It was a Sunday, but even on a Sunday, the Howell house was empty. Dan’s mother worked two jobs, and working Sundays paid better than working any other day of the week. Dan’s father sometimes left for days at a time. Dan never knew where he went, why he left or when he would be coming back. When he wasn’t out of town, he was sitting in the living room, a husk of a man, looking blankly at the turned on TV with a can of beer in his hands. 

His parents weren’t perfect. Dan was aware. He knew his mother struggled with juggling two jobs, two kids. Two kids who were nowhere near ready to go out into the world, and wouldn’t be for years to come. 

But everything was good. Even if Dan was left home alone, left to cook himself a meal and clean up after everyone, as he was the only one with the time to do so, he thought that everything was good. His family wasn’t perfect. But it was a good family. 

On Sunday, Dan had a whole plan. He woke up whenever he wanted, since his mum wasn’t around to drag him out of bed for school or other responsibilities. He had his favourite cereal for breakfast, and sometimes even some extra sweets if he found any. He then sat in front of the TV until at least 2 or 3 in the afternoon, cleaning between shows and during ads. When he got bored of television, he cooked his mother and little brother a meal, then set it aside for when they would come home.

It was 4 in the afternoon on that cloudy Sunday when Dan remembered that he promised his new friend that he would be coming around again. He picked up his backpack, noting that there was a small hole in the bottom of it that he should patch up later. Band-aids, some water and a snack were carefully packed into the backpack, this time a flashlight as well. Dan grabbed his house key to lock the house up before he hopped on his bike.

He had fun, the previous day. Phil was a good boy. He knew how to have fun, even if he was a bit strange at first. Even if his family was a bit strange. 

Whose family wasn’t strange?

The brown-haired boy was in the “rich” part of town within half an hour, panting a bit as he hopped off his bike and looked up at the by now familiar house. Compared to his own, this pristine-looking house, built probably not too long ago, or renovated at least, looked like a proper mansion for royalty. Dan wondered if they had a huge foyer with a chandelier made out of beautiful crystals… Or perhaps an indoor pool, with a slide?

Like the previous day, Dan scanned all the windows, hoping that this time he would see a pair of blue eyes peeking from one of the white curtains. He gave it a minute, then walked between the houses and looked into the backyard. 

Phil was sitting on the porch, Lion positioned so he sat on Phil’s lap. The boy was looking out toward the forest, his blue eyes reflecting the woods in a way that made them appear to almost be green. A deep green-blue. Dan didn’t make his presence known yet. He noticed that the boxes were gone and that a swing set was set up in the opposite corner, and most of the flowers that were previously in pots had been planted. 

“Hello, Phil,” he greeted, keeping his voice rather meek. He was afraid that he would startle the other. 

“Dan,” Phil smiled, getting up and taking Lion by the paw as he walked over to the fence. “Hey. How are you?” The ginger-haired boy asked, probably to be polite. 

Dan couldn’t help but notice the suit he was wearing. His tie was a bit crooked, but its pretty azure colour caught Dan’s attention. “Are you going somewhere?” He asked, some disappointment evident in his voice. 

“No, we just came back from church a while ago.” Phil looked over his shoulder. He was glad that his mother seemed to already be too busy with work to pay attention to where he was. “I was actually waiting for you.” He admitted, looking back at Dan. 

“Oh,” Dan breathed out, then he, too, glance at the open door leading into the house. “Can you come play?” He asked, knowing that the previous day, the other boy was forced to cut the time they spent together short. 

Phil shook his head, and it was all Dan needed to feel defeated. He was hoping they could continue their game. He had been up late the previous night, thinking of strategies to get some of Phil’s “treasure.” They were ninja pirates, after all, and they needed to protect their territory and steal what isn’t rightfully theirs. Dan had hoped that they could build some more stuff together, maybe even explore the other end of the woods. 

“But-!” Phil started, as soon as he saw the disappointment wash over Dan’s face. “We can play here.” He said, biting his lips. He didn’t seem too sure if that was true. 

“Really?” 

“I-I can ask…” he added softly, then took a step back from the fence. 

“Wait. What if I can’t stay?” Dan looked down at the ground again. He didn’t want to go home. He really didn’t. 

Phil shrugged, then finally stepped back and turned to climb up onto the porch. He was gone for a few minutes, and Dan began to wonder if the other boy would even becoming back. He was just about to take his bike again and leave when Phil reemerged from within his home and smile at Dan brightly. 

“You can stay to play!” Dan saw that Phil had changed out of the suit he was wearing and was now dressed in a tee with a cartoonish purple T-rex on it as well as some simple black sweats. 

“Awesome.” Dan grinned back and put his bike away, then walked around to the gate, which Phil opened for him and let him into his backyard. 

Dan saw Phil’s mother poke her head out briefly. He frowned when she saw who her son was going to play with, but she did not say a word.

The two boys spend hours playing. Phil brought out his toys, making Dan feel just a little bit envious. But that feeling wasn’t about to ruin anything for him. They each picked their own action figure and were soon “battling” against each other.

It was late in the afternoon, the sun would begin to set anytime soon. Phil’s mother came out of the house, watching for a few minutes before she spoke up.

“I think that’s enough for today.” She said coldly, and even as the smiles fell from both of the boys’ faces, she remained stone cold. 

“But mum-” Phil began. 

“No. I’m sorry, love. Your friend has to go.” 

Dan put down the figure he had been playing with and stood up. He grabbed his backpack off the ground and dusted it off. It was still dirty, but that’s just how it was.

“That’s okay, Phil. I had fun.” Dan said and smiled down at his new friend. Phil soon stood up as well and nodded, though he was not happy at all. Dan thought he could guess what the reason behind the frowning was.

“I’ll see you... “ Phil didn’t finish  that sentence on purpose.

“Tomorrow?” The other boy perked up a bit as Dan suggested. 

“Yeah, tomorrow.” He then leaned closer to Dan and whispered. “Mum and dad are gone until 4. We can go to the forest again.” He then pulled back and smiled brightly. 

Dan briefly wondered how Phil could be both so full of sunshine and rain all at once. 

“Okay, bye, Phil. Goodbye, Mrs….” He looked at Phil, as if asking for his surname. 

“Lester.” 

“Goodbye Mrs. Lester. Thank you for letting me stay.” He then walked out the gate, not looking at the woman as he grabbed his bike and slowly drove off.

 

* * *

 

Dan didn’t go home right away. He decided to drive around for a while. He had time. His mother and brother wouldn’t be home until very late, and he had nothing to do. Nothing good was on TV and he had no chores he wanted or had to do. He felt the weight of being alone. It felt as if someone had put rocks into his backpack and was forcing him to ride up a steep hill. He didn’t like the feeling.

With Phil around, it felt as if that weight didn’t ever exist. 

He came across a park, not too far away from his home. He could see a group of boys, older than him by at least a couple of years, playing basketball.

The urge to run over and ask if he could play, too, was strong with Dan, but he merely sat down on one of the benches and took out the bottle of water and the snack he packed for himself. The sun was slowly beginning to dip under the horizon, casting long shadows on the ground, the light around the whole park turning a gentle orange. Dan wished he could have spent that time with a friend. 

* * *

 

“Daniel, where have you been?” Dan heard his mother ask, no real concern in her voice. She knew that the 11 year old could take care of himself well enough. He was mature for his age. 

“I was playing with Phil.” He answered simply, putting his backpack down on the ground and heading into the kitchen. His mother was sat down at the table, a lit cigarette held loosely between her pale fingers. Dan’s nose scrunched up at the familiar scent of tobacco. He was used to it by now, but after spending a day outside in the fresh air, he did not appreciate the foul scent.

“Phil?” He heard his mother ask, an eyebrow cocked in curiosity. Despite the bags under her eyes and the tired paleness of her skin, her chocolate brown eyes were still warm as she looked at her son.

“Yeah!” Dan said with enthusiasm, sitting down at the kitchen table and starting to animatedly describe Phil and all the fun he had had with the boy in the short time he had known him. From their games at the garbage dump to their rather quiet hours spent playing with Phil’s toys. Dan’s mum had a soft smile on her lips as she listened intently to her son. 

“I’m happy that you found a friend like Phil, love.” He extinguished her cigarette and then put the food Dan had made for her and Adrian into the microwave. “Does he go to your school?” 

“I don’t know. He moved in not too long ago.” 

“So he’s new in town.” 

“I guess so. They moved into a huge house.” 

Dan’s mum hummed to let Dan know that she was listening. 

“His mum doesn’t like me.” 

She looked over at Dan, her smile falling. “Why do you think that?” 

“She doesn’t like it that I play with Phil.” He thought back on the looks she was sending in Dan’s direction. The judging way she scrunched up her nose in what must be disgust whenever he touched anything that belong to Phil- or even Phil himself. 

“...Some people are like that, honey. As long as Phil is nice to you, I don’t see a reason why it should matter whether his mum likes you or not.” Dan could only nod at that. He knew he shouldn’t care. But he saw how Phil reacted. How his head hung a bit lower every time he noticed his mum looking over at them. 

“I guess. I’m gonna go read.” Dan pushed his chair away from the table. He hear his mum say a soft ‘okay, have fun’ before he closed the kitchen door and went to the bathroom. He took a shower and brushed his teeth before slipping into the room he shared with Adrian. 

His brother was in the living room, judging by the sounds of some cartoon coming from said room. Dan sighed, climbing into his own bed and taking out a book to read. He could hardly concentrate. It was a strange day. But at least it felt like summer.

* * *

 

Dan kept meeting up with Phil every day. They would either go to the forest or explore the neighbourhood. They were inseparable. They spent every minute of every day together, as much as they could and were allowed to. Dan learnt that Phil’s parents weren’t home much, and even when they were, they were working. Usually, there was a nanny to take care of Phil. An older woman who had apparently been a family friend for a long time.

He also learnt that Phil has a brother who is three years older than him. Dan did ask why he had never seen Martyn. But Phil just shrugged and avoided the question for a few days, until he said that Martyn went to a boarding school, and was in America with some school friends on a summer-long trip. 

Perhaps it was envy or maybe melancholy that he saw in Phil’s eyes. Whatever it was, it told him not to talk about Martyn too much. 

Summer was slowly coming to an end. Dan had been so busy with just being around Phil that he didn’t even notice that in less than 3 weeks, they would be going right back to school. To hell, as Dan loved to call it.

“Phil?” They were sitting on a bench in a park near Phil’s home. Phil had sneaked out once again, because he always did that with Dan. Even if he got in trouble at least a few times when his mum noticed that his shoes were muddier than they were supposed to be. 

“Yes?” The blue-eyed boy asked, turning his gaze away from some pigeon that had gathered around a woman who was feeding them some crumbs. 

“What school do you go to?” 

Phil thought for a moment. He had to remember the name. “St. Willow Secondary School.” He said after almost a full minute of thinking.

“That’s the same school I go to!” He wasn’t too keen to go to that school. Although it was a new school, as he is starting year 7, the change will be minimal. Teachers and a new building aside, not much changes. He’s going to be with the same kids. Their town isn’t exactly large. He’s happier this time around though. 

Phil will be there, too.

“That’s great!” Phil chuckled, nudging Dan with his shoulder. They were sat rather closely together. It felt nice, comfortable. Just being in close proximity. They didn’t yet officially declare that they are best friends, but both of them knew it. 

“I will finally have someone to spend lunch with!” Dan laughed, and Phil joined in after saying a small ‘me too’. 

They fell into comfortable silence, both boys happy. 

* * *

 

The first day of school was always difficult. Not only did it mean that he had to wear a uniform again, but it also meant that he had to get used to studying and listening and just waking up every morning. The only thing he was looking forward to was the fact that now he could be with Phil, every day. Maybe not as much as they were during summer, but he could at the very least look forward to something. 

The beginning of a new school year meant something else, as well. It meant that Dan’s mum spent a lot of money on his uniform, his books, his supplies… And while she said that it was fine (she didn’t even have a choice, anyway), it was obvious that there was some stress around spending so much money all of a sudden. Dan couldn’t help but think a bit bitterly how Phil does not have such a problem. 

After the welcoming ceremony, they were all told to find their classes and start the day. Dan had yet to see Phil, but he had gone through two classes already, both of which didn’t start on anything important yet. The usual get-to-know the teacher and students spiel was going on, and Dan already knew 99% of everyone in his classes. He was eager for lunch to come around so he could maybe, hopefully, find Phil.

Ten minutes into lunch break and Dan finally stumbled upon Phil. They shared stories of their days so far as they made their way to the canteen. Dan got his free lunch, and Phil had one packed from home. They sat down in a secluded corner, not wanting to be bothered by anyone at all. Dan used to hang out with some boys from his old school, but he didn’t find them. He knew that they were somewhere.

Lunch passed in what felt like seconds, and the two had to get up and continue their day. Dan was less than eager. He could only really see Phil during breaks and what’s about it. At the very least, he figured, he had the older boy’s schedule and they could meet up between classes, even if it was for only a minute or two to say hello. 

Dan didn’t mind. He was okay with it. At least he had someone to be around. With Phil around, there would be no problems. With Phil around, even the bullies wouldn’t matter too much. Because at the end of the day, he didn’t have to go home and hope that the following day would be better.

He could go to his friend who would tell him that the following day would be better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> I'd appreciate a comment~! :)
> 
> Tumblr: cuteboyphil


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